Machine tools



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Dec. 20, 1955 J. F. KOPCZYNSKI 2,727,342

MACHINE TOOLS Filed Aug. 12, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 Dec. 20, 1955 J. F. KOPCZYNSKI MACHINE TOOLS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 12, 1954 United States Patent MACHINE TOULS John F. Kopczyuski, Buffalo, N. 5.

Application August 12, 1954, Serial No. 449,385

8 Claims. (U. 51216) This invention relates to machine tools, and particu larly to those which are used to center, hold and rotate an object which is to be operated upon, in which the rotation is through selected fractional carts of a revolution.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and simple device for centering and holding objects of different diameters while being worked upon; with which the object may he quickly and eas' removed from held position or inserted in held position by simple manipulations; with which an object so centered and held may be rotated selectively through fractional parts of a revolution in succession; which adjusts automatically to receive and hold objects of different diameters; which will hold the object positively in each of its positions between fractional rotations; with which a uniform and continuous pressure may be exerted on the held object; and which will be relatively simple, compact and inexpensive in construction and convenient in use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a metal punch which may be ground in accordance with this invention, in which the piercing end of the punch has one type of non-circular periphery;

Fig. 2 is an end view of another punch having a piercing end of a different, non-circular type that may be ground in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 3 is a similar end view of another type of punch which may be ground in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrating the grinding of the piercing end of a metal punch of square cross section;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one part of the machine; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the machine, the section being taken approximately along the line 88 of Fig. 4.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the parts are supported on a frame 1 which has a main casting or support, with posts 2 extendin sidewise therefrom in vertically alined, but spaced a art, relation. A bridge member 3 is provided with passages 4 near its ends, through which the posts 2 extend, so that thebridge member 3 can slide along the posts to difierent extents. The ends of the member 3 are slit to the passages 4, and the opposite sides of the slit are connected, and may be drawn together, by screws 5. Thus by loosening the screws 5 the bridge member 3 may he slid along the posts 2 and then secured in selected ing of the screws 5.

A member 6 is slidingly confined on the posts 2 so as to move toward and from the bridge member. A rod '7 is disposed with one end in a recess in the rnember'fi, and secured therein against removal by a pin 3 which passes through the member 6 and that end of therod 7 which is lit! the member 6. This rod 7 extends through a passage 9 in the bridge member 3 and bears in a bushing 11 which li es the passage 9. A handle 11 is pivoted by pin 12 upon the outer end of the rod 7, and this handle Ill has an arcuate cam edge surface 13which is eccentric to the pin 3.2 with the part nearest to the pivot at the end of the handle.

"/hen the handle 11 is swung from a straight outor horizontal position downwardly into the position shown Fig. 4, its arcuate surface 13 moves in contact with the side face of the bridge member 3 to carry into contact with the member 3, a part of the arcuate surface which is farther from the pivot This pulls the rod 7 outwardly and thus in ves the member toward the bridge member 3. Springs 1 5, which may be helical springs, are interposed between the met era 3 and 6, so as to be compressed by this movement of the member 6 toward the member 3. The ends of these springs are 'disposed in recesses in the adjacent faces of the members 3 and 6, so as to permit of close approach of the memtoward the member 3, and also to hold the springs positions by tightenber o in position.

The frame 1 is provided with passages 15, Fig. 8, from face to face in which are disposed roller bearings 16 near opposite ends of the passages 15. These two passages 15 are in vertical alinement with each other, and in the upper one of these passages I provide a shaft 17 which is rotatably mounted in the bearingslo of that passage, with one end of the shaft extending forwardly beyond the frame where it detachaoly mounts a disk or wheel Ito having a peripheral groove in the lower of these passages 15, I provide another shaft 19 which is rotatably mounted in the bearings 16 of that passage, and one end of the shaft l9 extends forwardly from the frame 1 and detachably mounts a disc or wheel 26 also having a groove 21 in its periphery. Beating seals '22 are provided on both shafts at the front face of the frame 1. The wheels or disks 18 and 2?; are fixed to the shafts 1'7 and 19, so as to rotate therewiti The forward ends of the shafts l7 and 19 have shoulders facing rearwardly that abut against the forward bearings 16 of the passages 15. Nuts 23 are threaded upon the opposite ends of the shafts 17 and 19 and engage against the rear bearings 36 so as to prevent removal of the shafts from the passages 15. Cover plates 2o close the rear ends of the passages 15.

Referring next to Fig. 5 articularly, the member 6 is provided with a passage 25, in the opposite ends of which are mounted roller bearings 26 which seat against shoulders of the passage to limit their approach toward each other. A shaft 27 is rotatably supported in the bearings 26, with one end extending forwardly of the member 6 and there detachably mounting a dish or wheel 28 which is coupled to the shaft in a manner to rotate therewith but be detachable therefrom. The mounting of the disks i8, 26 and 23 may be thesarne if desired. A bearing seal 29 is disposed in the passage 25 between the disk 28 and the forward bearing 26. The shaft 27 has a shoulder which fits against the forward bearing 26 to limit rearward movement of the shaft 27, and a nut 30 threaded upon the rear end or" the shaft 27 and having a flange overlapping the rear face of the rear bearing 26, prevents forward movement of the shaft 27.

A cover plate 31 closes the rear end of the passage 25. Thus the disk or wheel 28is free to rotate about its axis and also move bodily with the member 6 toward and from the vertically alined disks or wheels 18 and 20. The periphery of the disk 28 has a width less than the width of peripheral groove in each of the wheels 18 and 20, so that when the member 6 is shifted away from the bridge 3 and toward the wheels 18 and 20, its periphery may enter the peripheral grooves of those wheels and thus reduce the space between the three wheels 18, 20 and 28. The disks 18 and 20, are of course, alined with one another, as well as with the disk 28. When the handle 11 is rotated into a straight out or horizontal position, it will release the rod 7 for movement to the right in Fig. 4, and the springs 14 shift the member 6 toward the wheels 18 and 20 so as to engage between the three wheels and hold an object 32, Figs. 4 and 5, which is to be operated upon. In this instance the object 32 is the cylindrical shank of a metal piercing punch having a piercing end 33.

The three wheels that have this relative approach will engage and hold, and automatically center this object or punch 32, and permit its rotation about its own axis while it is so centered and held. The springs 14 exert a continuous and resilient pressure on the member 6, so as to urge the disk or wheel 28 into contact with the object or punch 32. The frame 1 is provided with a passage 34 (Fig. in alinement with the object 32, and a bridge or spider 35 is fastened to the rear face of the frame 1, so as to span the rear end of the passage 34. This bridge 35 is shown separately in Fig. 7, and has two legs which have lateral flanges 36 at their free ends which abut against the rear face of the frame 1 and are secured thereto by bolts 37 which pass through the flanges 36 and bosses 38 on the frame 1.

The cross part of the spider is provided with a central passage 39 in which are disposed a pair of roller bearings 40, spaced apart along the passage and held from approach to each other by engagement with internal shoulders of the passage. A shaft 41 is rotatably mounted in the roller bearings 40 and extends in both directions beyond the ends of the passage 39. The shaft 41 at its inner end has fixed thereon a collar 42 which may be detachably held thereon in telescopic relation by a pin 43. This collar 42 is connected by a universal joint 44 to a shaft 45, which at its other end is connected by a universal joint 46 to one end of a collar 47 which telescopes over and fits one end of a stud 48 to which it is secured by a set screw or pin 49 which passes through the collar 47 and engages the stud 48. The other end of the stud 48 is enlarged and provided with a recess in its open end, the side wall of this enlarged end being provided with slits 50 which extend from the free end nearly to the end of the enlargement.

The recess enables that end of the enlargement to telescope over the rear end of the object or punch shank 32 as shown in Fig. 5. The cavity or recess in this enlargement is provided with an outwardly facing, internal shoulder 51, against which the end of the shank of the punch 32 abuts, so as to limit the extent to which the enlarged end of the collar can telescope over the rear end of the shank of the punch 32. A screw 52 passes across the recess or cavity in this enlarged end of the stud 48, and has a head engaging with the part on one side of the slit 50, and is threaded into the part at the opposite side of the slit. By tightening the screw 52 one may draw together the end of the enlarged collar 47 which has telescoped over the shank of the punch 32, so as to frictionally grip it and establish a rotary driving connection thereto.

The rear end of the shaft 41 is provided with a reduced, threaded end 53 on which is threaded a nut 54. A washer 55 on the reduced end 53 abuts against the inner face of nut 54. An arm 56 is keyed upon the extending rear end of the shaft 41, with a boss 57 abuttingagainstthe rear bearing 40. The washer 55 abuts against the outer end face of the arm 56 so as to prevent endwise movement of the arm in one direction on the shaft 41. Thus the arm 56 rotates with the shaft 41, and rotation of the shaft 41 extends through the universal joints 44 and 46 and the shaft 45 to the collar which is frictionally clamped to the object 32. Thus the arm 56 when rotated will cause an equivalent rotation of the object 32, even through fractional parts of a revolution.

This universal drive connection from the shaft 41 to the collar 47 makes it possible to accurately rotate the object 32 through fractional increments of a revolution and axial alinement of the shaft 41 with the object 32 is unnecessary because of the universal drive connection between the shaft 41 and the object 32. When objects of a different size are to be centered and held and given increments of rotation, it is merely necessary to substitute a different stud 48 which has a recess in its slit end that will telescope over the end of the object of the different size. The larger diameter object would keep the disk or Wheel 28 farther from the wheels 18 and 20 and this would place the axis of rotation of the larger object nearer to the bridge member 3, but owing to the universal shaft connection to the shaft 41, any increment of rotation of the arm 56 would always give an equal increment of rotation to the object which may not be in alinement therewith.

The end face of the cross part of the spider is provided with a circular row of apertures 58, the center of curvature of this row being at the axis of rotation of the shaft 41. A hardened metal .bushing 59 is secured in the rear or outer end of each aperture 58, and each bushing has an inwardly tapering or converging passage 60. The outer end of the arm 56 is provided with a passage 61 which is disposed at a distance from the axis of rotation of shaft 41 which is equal to the corresponding distance from the axis of rotation of shaft 41 to the center of each recess 58. A hardened bushing 62 is tightly fitted in the passage'61, and this bushing slidingly mounts a plunger or centering pin .63 for endwise reciprocation. A head 64 is provided on the outer end of the plunger 63, and its periphery may be knurled, so that it may be gripped and pulled outwardly when desired.

A spring 65 is disposed in the bushing 62, with one end engaging against a hardened tapered nose or end 66, on pin 63, and its other end against a bushing 67 which is removably secured in the outer end of the passage of the hardened bushing 62. The periphery of the free end of the head 66 is tapered so that it may enter and seat in the tapered passage 60 of the bushing 59 with which it may be in alinement at any time. Thus by pulling outwardly on the knurled end or head 64, the head 66 may be withdrawn from a recess or passage of bushing 59, and while so held the arm 56 may be rotated to bring the pin 63 into alinement with another aperture 58. When the pin 63 is then released, it will force its nose 66 into the bushing 59 of that aperture with which it is alined, thus accurately locating, angularly, the arm 56. By reason of the universal drive shaft connection to the object 32, the indexing handle or arm 56 will accurately position the object angularly. The arrangement of the apertures 58 is selected to enable one to give desired increments of rotation to the object 32.

Assuming that a punch 32 is to have its piercing end ground into a square shape as shown in Fig. 4, the shank of the punch is disposed between the three wheels 18, 20 and 28 and the springs 14 will urge the wheel 28 against the shank of the punch 32 and thus center and hold the punch 32 for rotation about its own longitudinal axis. The wheels 18, 20 and 28 are, of course, free to rotate with the punch when the latter is rotated. The shaft 41 is coupled to the shaft of the punch 32, and the arm 56 is rotated to aline its pin 63 with a selected one of the apertures 58 such as the one also designated as 58a in Fig; 6." The pin .63 then enters that aperture definitely and holds the: punch against rotation, and therefore, while the punch is so held a grinding wheel W, shown by dot and dash lines in Fig. 4, is moved while it is rotating about its axis, back and forth from left to right in Fig. 4, as shown by the arrows 68 in Fig. 4, while the periphery of this grinding wheel is in contact with the piercing end of the punch, that is, the end which extends forwardly beyond the wheels 18, 26 and 28, as shown in Fig. '8. This will grind a flat face on the side of the piercing end of the punch.

When this grinding is completed, the grinding wheel is moved to one side, and then the pin 63 is pulled outwardly to release the arm 56, and the latter is then rotated through one-quarter revolution into the position shown in Fig. 6. When the pin 63 is then released it will enter that aperture 53 which is one-quarter of a revolution from the starting aperture 58a. This rotation will turn the punch one-quarter revolution and present another face or side upwardly in the path of the grinding wheel W. While the punch is so held the grinding wheel W, while rotating, is moved back and forth from side to side in the direction of the arrows 68 (Fig. 4), and this will grind a second fiat face across the piercing end of the punch,.which will be in a plane at right angles to the plane of the previously ground flat face. After. this is done, the grinding wheel is removed to one side and the arm 56 given a further rotation of one-quarter revolution, to bring the pin 63 into alinement of the aperture 58b, in Fig. 6.

This gives another one-quarter revolution to the punch 32, which presents a new side of the punch across the path of the grinding wheel W. The grinding wheel, while rotating, is again moved back and forth in the direction of the arrows 6'23 in Fig. 4, so as to grind a third flat face on the piercing end of the punch. After this has been done, the indexing arm 56 is given a further one-quarter revolution so as to bring the pin 63 into alinement with the aperture 580 (Fig. 6), and then the fourth side of the piercing end of the punch is similarly ground with a fiat face. This gives a piercing end which is square in cross section. if only one fiat side is provided as shown in Fig. 1, then the indexing arm 56 may be placed in any position with its pin 63 in any aperture 58, and then the grinding wheel moved across the piercing end of the punch to grind one fiat face as shown in Fig. 1.

If two fiat faces are to be ground as shown in Fig. 3, one fiat face is ground on the side .of the piercing end while the indexing arm 56 is located by engagement of its pin 63 with any of the apertures 58. The indexing arm is then given a one-half revolution and then a second flat face is ground on the side of the piercing end of the punch. This produces a piercing. end as shown in Fig. 3.

if a six-sided or hexagon end of the punch is desired, the punch is started with the indexing arm 56 located by engagement of the pin 63 in the aperture 58a. With the punch held in this position a fiat face is ground on a side of the piercing end. The indexing arm 56 is then moved through 60 degrees and located in that position by engagement of the pin 63 in the alined aperture 58. After a fiat surface is ground on a side of the punch end while the arm 56 is in that position, the indexing arm is turned through 60 degrees farther, anduthen another fiat surface is ground. This turning through 60 degrees and grinding continued until all six faces have been ground. Other arrangements of the apertures 58 may be selected as may be desired. This provides for a fast grinding of diiferent non-circular shapes.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A- machine tool comprising a support having two parts movable toward and from each other, a pair of. wheels rotatably mounted on one of said parts in side by side alinement, a third wheel rotatably mounted on the other of said parts in side by side alinement with end of said object, a flexible drive between said coupling I and said shaft to cause rotary movement of said object by rotation of said shaft, and means coupled to said shaft for imparting thereto measured increments of rotation, said support and said means coupled to said shaft having cooperating portions for accurately positioning said means that is coupled to said shaft in desired successive, rotary positions that are transmitted by said flexible drive to said coupling and through it to said object to which said coupling may be attached.

2. A machine tool comprising a support having two parts movable toward and from each other, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on one of said parts in side by side alinement, a third wheel rotatably mounted on the other of said parts in side by side alinement with said pair of wheels, the axes of all of said wheels being generally parallel and arranged in a triangular arrangement whereby when said parts approach, an object to be acted upon that is disposed between the wheels will be engaged between the wheels, centered and held thereby for rotation with the wheels, means on said support for selectively causing separation and approach of said parts, a shaft rotatably mounted in said support beyond one end of said object, a coupling for attachment to said one end of said object, a flexible drive between said coupling and said shaft to cause rotary movement of said object by rotation ofsaid shaft, an arm fixed on said shaft to form an operating arm therefor, 11 locating pin mounted on the free end of said arm and movable therein in a direction generally parallel to said shaft, said support having on a face thereof a circularly arcuate row of recesses in which said pin may engage in succession,

means resiliently urging said pin into any of said recesses with which it may be alined, said recesses being spaced apart along said arcuate row according to desired rotary positions of said object to be worked upon.

3. A machine tool comprising a support having two parts movable toward and from each other, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on one of said parts in side. by side alinement, a third wheel rotatably mounted on the other of said parts inside by side alinement with said pairof wheels, the axes of all of said wheels being generally parallel and arranged in a triangular arrange.

ment whereby when said parts approach, an object to be acted upon that is disposed between the wheels will be engaged between the wheels, centered and held thereby for rotation with the wheels, each of said pair of wheels having an endless groove extending alongQits periphery,

and the periphery of said third wheel having a width less than the widths of the peripheral grooves in said pair of wheels so as to enable it to enter said grooves and engage, center and hold for rotation about its axis, an object to be worked upon which at the portion engaged between the said wheels is of very small diameter, means on said support for selectively causing separation and approach of said parts, a shaft ro stably mounted in said support beyond one end of said object, a coupling for attachment to said one end of said object, a flexible drive between said coupling and said shaft to cause rotary movement of said object by rotation of said shaft, and means coupled to said shaft for imparting vthereto measured increments of rotation, said support and said means coupled to said shaft having cooperating portions for accurately positioning said means that is coupled to said shaft in desired successive, rotary positions that are transmitted by said flexible drive to said coupling and through it to said object to which said coupling may be attached.

4. A machine tool comprising a frame, three wheels disposed in side by side alinement and rotatably mounted on said frame, the axes of rotation of the wheels having a triangular relation, means for shifting one of said wheels bodily toward and from the other two to either engage, center and hold for rotation about its axis, an object to be worked upon, or to release it, a coupling for detachable engagement with one end of said object that is held between said wheels, a rotatable indexing device carried by said frame, a flexible drive between said indexing device and said coupling for transmitting to said coupling, and through it to an object to which it is attached and which is rotatably confined between said wheels, increments of desired rotary motion determined by the operation of said indexing device, whereby machine operations may be performed in succession upon difierent rotary portions of said object.

5. A machine tool comprising a frame, three wheels disposed in side by side alinement and rotatably mounted on said frame, the axes of rotation of the wheels having a triangular relation, means for shifting one of said wheels bodily toward and from the other two to either engage, center and hold for rotation about its axis, an object to be worked upon, or to release it, a coupling for detachable engagement with one end of said object that is held between said wheels, a rotatable indexing device carried by said frame, a flexible drive between said indexing device and said coupling for transmitting to said coupling, and through it to an object to which it is attached and which is rotatably confined between said wheels, increments of desired rotary motion determined by the operation of said indexing device, whereby machine operations may be performed in succession upon different rotary portions of said object, each wheel of two of said wheels having an outwardly opening, endless annular groove, extending along the periphery of the wheel, and the periphery of the other wheel having a width less than the widths of said grooves in the other wheels so as to enable it to enter said grooves in the other wheels and engage, center and hold for rotation with the wheels, an object to be worked upon which is of very small diameter at the portion thereof which is confined between said wheels.

6. A machine tool comprising a support having two parts relatively movable toward and from each other, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on one of said parts in side by side alinement, a third wheel rotatably mounted on the other of said parts in side by side alinement with said pair'of wheels, said wheels having the periphery of one overrunning side by side with the peripheries of the other wheels so as to be able to center between'the penipheries and hold for rotation thereby, objects to be operated upon which are of very small diameter that are disposed between the approaching wheels, means on said support for selectively causing a separating movement or approach between said parts, and upon said approach thereby causing an object between said wheels to be engaged, centered and held thereby for rotation with said wheels, an indexing device on said support, and a drive, with universal couplings therein, operated at one end by said device and formed at its other end for detachable couplingto one end of an object engaged and centered by said wheels.

7.A machine tool comprising a support having two parts movable toward and from each other, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on one of said parts in side by side alinement, a third wheel rotatably mountedon the other of said parts in side by side alinement with said pair of wheels, said wheels having the periphery of one overrunning side by side with the peripheries of the other wheels so as to be able to center between the peripheries and hold for rotation thereby, objects to be operated upon which are of very small diameter that are disposed between the approaching wheels, means on said support for causing a separating movement between said parts, means automatically operable when said preceding means releases said parts for relative approach for yieldingly and continuously urging said approach and thereby causing an object between said wheels to be engaged, centered and held thereby for rotation with said wheels, a member rotated on said support through selected, measured increments, and a shaft drive coupled at one end to said member to be rotated therewith and formed at its other end for detachable coupling to an object confined between said wheels, said shaft drive being operable in misalinement of the axes of said object and member, so as to be applicable to objects of different diameters.

8. A machine tool comprising a support having a frame, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame in side by side, parallel relation and alinement, a member guided by said support for movement toward and from said pair of wheels, a third wheel rotatably mounted on said member and movable therewith, said third wheel being disposed in side by side alinement with said pair of wheels, the wheels of said pair having peripheral grooves wider than the width of the periphery of said third wheel so that the periphery of said third wheel can enter the grooves of said pair of wheels and be able to engage an object to be operated upon which is of very small diameter, means operable on said member to move it away from said pair of wheels so as to release an object held between all of said wheels, means automatically operable when said just preceding means releases said member, for moving said member toward said pair of wheels to engage, center and hold an object inserted between all of said wheels, an indexing shaft mounted on said support for rotation, a handle on said indexing shaft to rotate it through selected, angular increments, said support and handle having cooperating parts for holding the handle and through it said indexing shaft in ditferentselected increments of rotation, an element formed for detachable coupling to one end of an object that is centered and held between said wheels, and a universal drive between said indexing shaft and said element for causing rotation of said object held by said wheels through selectfed increments determined by rotation of said indexing sha t.

No references cited. 

